My children and grandchildren get a kick out of me telling this story. Actually it is a true story. In the early days of my retirement years, I decided to run in a 5K race in a “Senior Citizen’s Olympics.” I did all the right things: ate well, worked out, and ran every day. I had the goal before me in clear view. When the day came for the race, I was both mentally and physically ready for the race. I was really proud of myself. I wore my treasured metal that day with pride. I came in second in my age category. But actually, there were only two of us running in my age category.

All kidding aside. We all are participating in a “race” every day of our lives. In Hebrews, God has placed a challenge for the Christian to endure in a marathon commitment to Christ. We are called to “fix” our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith. He is to be our model in this race of life. He surpasses all of the examples we find in the 11th chapter of Hebrews. By His death on the cross, He endured the pain and shame and made the path of faith possible. We will be faced with hurdles along the way, but all roadblocks have been removed.